Continuous process of making coke and illuminating gas



H. BURG:

CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF MAKING COKE AND ILLUMINATING GAS Aprfi 1925 1,532,300

Filed Feb. 14, 1922 m 3%! fig M 5 Massachusetts, have invented certain new.

Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

wire 1;?

I maz -e PATENT-Pris.

HEBMALN BURGI, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 CEARLES HENRY TENNEY, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

,oorrrniuous raoonss or Maxine Conn AND mum/[marine Gas.

. Application filed February 14', 19212. se ial'no. 536,463,.

To all whom it may "concern."

Be itknown that I, HERMAN Boner, a citizen ofthe United States, and residing at Springfield, Hampden County, State of and useful Improvements in Continuous Processes of Making Coke and Illuminating Gas, of which the tion. I

My invention relates to an improved proc-.

I 'ess of making coke and illuminating gas'and has reference more particularly to What is generally known as a' continuous 'process.

wherein coal is continuously fed into the X upper end of a retort and moves downwardly through the retort to the lower end there of where the residue is withdrawm'heat be- "ing applied to the coal during its .travel through the retort.

In the continuousprocess now in commercial' use for making illuminating gas, the heating of the contents of the retort is done 1 from the outside of the retort, the heat gen erally bein obtained by burning amixture of a suitab egas, such as carbon monoxide and reheated air near the external surface of the walls of the retort. The heat'thus se cured through combustion must penetrate the Walls of the retort inorder to heat the coal and liberate the gases therefrom.

Bymy improved process, I heat the coal in the retort by means of heat generated in-" side the retort itself. 'The heat is generated by forming a combustion zone at the lower end of the retort. This is accomplished by burning a portion only of the coke produced so thatthe heat generated and hot gasesproduced by such combustion will serve to drive ofi the cvolatile constituents of the entire mass of coal as it descends through the retort.. In carrying out my process preheated air in proper quantity is injected into theretort at the lower end thereof, which as stated combines with a portion only of the hot coke to produce'a combustion zone at the. lower end of the retort, forming carbon dioxide,-

which evolves sufficient heat to enable it, while passing upwardly in the retort, to carbonize all of the descending coal or in other words to drive off the volatile constituents of the coal. The unburned remainder of the coke passes downwardlyto the lower end of the retort where it is withdrawn.

to supply the necessary heat, my process refollowing' is a s'pecifioai tion, I also inject steam into the lower end 2 of the retort, which serves to prevent clinkering'and to keep down thetemperature at 'monia, and the like.

Since only a small portion of the coke is consumed,

' sults the' formation of" a large percentage the point'where carbon dioxide is formed.

A portion of the steam coming in, contact with the hot coke is converted into water gas which with the excess steam passes upwardly and assists in rapidly removing the volatile products of carbonization from the reacting zone. This rapid removal serves to "preserve valuable constituents of the gas from decomposition by decreasing the" time they are in contact with the hot walls of the retort. The amount of heat generated at the lower end of the retort is so regulated that the carbonization of the coal is carried only to such a point as to preserve the tar, amy The process is operated so thatthe pressure inside the retort is substantially the same as the atmospheric pressure. I 1 I Anysuitableapparatus may be employed for carrying-outmy process. In the drawings' accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, I have shown two vertical retorts 1 and 2'which are provided ontheirupper ends with the usual coal feed ingapparatus 3, the latter-being of any suitable censtruction. The lower ends of the retorts are provided with any suitable mechanism 4, 4:, for extracting the residues. Inv thelower end of each retort slots or openings 9 are provided through which preheatf ed air-from any suitable source may be injectedlinto the retorts, the air being furnished in quantities sufficient to burn up enough of the coke to provide'the necessary heat to carbonize all of the coal. Below the openings 9 each of the retorts is provided with openings 10 through which steam from any suitable source maybe supplied to the inside of the retorts, the steam, as heretofore stated, being partially converted into water gas which with the excess steam and-prod nets of combustion pass upwardly through the descending coal and cause rapid removal of the volatile products of carbonization i equilibrium which would be fatal to their from the reacting zone resulting in a tendency to protect the ammonia, tar, methane and illuniinants from reaching a state of preservation. 7

It has been found that the unburned por- 1 ton of the coke after passing the zone of tioned at a point where the temperature is such as to permanently fix and render stable the constituents of the gas produced as set forth-in my prior Patent No. 1,095,806. For the purpose of supplying enriching oils to the coal to improve the illuminating and heating value of the gas. each of the retorts is provided with a pipe 8, which pipes extend downwardly from the top of the retorts to a point in the region of the exit pipes 7.

It will be understood that the apparatus thus described is more or less diagrammatic and that the proportions shown are not to be taken as indicative of the proportions which would necessarily be used in actual practice and, therefore, the. drawings are to be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention.

The continuous process as thus described possesses ni-imerous advantages over those now in use for making coke and illuminating gas. The coal is heated directly by contact with the hot gases fonned by the combustion of a portion of the coke in the retort and loss or waste 'due to the transmission of heat through the walls of the retort is obviated. Furthermore, where the heat is applied to the exterior of the retort it is difficult toproperly heat and carbonize the coal at the inner part of the retort and this can be done only-by heating-the retort and outer layers of coal'to an excessively high temperature. of heat. In my process, therefore, a, lower degree of heat can be used which is applied directly to the coal in the retort. This results in economy of heat. Also by using a lower degree of heat by burning a part of the coke with preheated air, a much higher percentage of ammonia, tar, methane, light and heavy oils, and the like, is obtained since decomposition and loss of volatile products is avoided. The result is an increase in the volume of gas produced per unit of "like are avoided.

This results in further loss' .iaasoo is consumed in the heating operation. Also theamount of non-combustible products will .be small due to the reaction of the carbon dioxide. formed with the incandescent coke to form carbon monoxide. In'addition to the foregoing, my process has the advantage thatno apparatus for supplying heat to the outside of the retorts is necessary and hence expensive installations of generators, or producers, flue systems, chimneys, .or the A plant using my process has greater capacity for gas production, thus reducing the capital charge and the ease and flexibility of control reduces the amount of labor necessary.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The herein described process of making coke and illuminating gas which consists in continuously passing coal in a solid body downwardly through a retort which is externally unheated and provided with an un-' restricted chamber from thetop to the bottom thereof, maintaining a limited zone of combustion in said retort above the bottom thereof by burning a portion only of the coke formed therein to generate heat to carbonize the descending coal, injecting preheated air into'the retort above its lowerend to supply oxygen for the combustion of said portion of the coke being burned, injecting steaminto the retort below the point at which the air is injected and at a point where the coke is at sufficiently high temperature to react with the steam, passing the products of combustion and gas formed in the lower part of the retort upwardly through the descending body of the coal to heat andcarbonize the same and drive off its volatile constituents, passing the remainder of the coke downwardly in a unitary column beyond said combustion zone and beyond the points at which the air and steam are injected, while maintaining the same out of further contact with air orlgas, with- HERMAN BUR-Uri.

I hereunto aflix my Ill) 

